By Barbara Baker, Director of Marketing Services
Dave Coles has days when he longs for the solitude that
comes with being a field geologist. He could, after all, be back in Maine
somewhere working for various companies exploring for copper-lead-zinc
massive sulfide deposits. Or, he could be hunting for gold deposits in the
Western United States. He knows all about this stuff and these kinds of jobs
pay pretty well. But instead, he chooses to teach. “I think I am being what I want to be right now,” Coles
says, responding to the question of what would he be if he could be anything he
wanted to be.
And, Coles is good at what he does. So good in fact that
he has been named the Faculty of the Year for 2013 at Northeastern Junior
College.
Coles and his wife, Dr. Shelby Nichols, arrived at
Northeastern in 1993. Dr. Nichols had been hired full-time to teach chemistry
on campus and Dave came along with her. Soon he found himself working as an
adjunct faculty member teaching Western Civilization I and II and Geography
105.
“It wasn’t long until I asked if I could introduce the
students here to astronomy and I started teaching the 101 and 102 classes,”
Coles remembers, noting that astronomy is one of his greatest loves.
Three years later, Coles was named a full-time faculty
member and was teaching a full load of classes including Astronomy, Chemistry
107, and Western Civilization. When Norm Berry retired, Coles took on the job
of teaching Physical Geology and Historical Geology, but gave up Western
Civilization. Over the years his course load has shifted some. He currently
teaches astronomy chemistry, environmental science and
geology.
“My first experience with higher education was at
Berkshire Community College at Pittsfield, Massachusetts where I earned an
associate’s degree,” says Coles, proud of the fact that he is a product of a
two-year school. “ I transferred from there to the University of Maine at Orono
where I earned a bachelor’s of art degree in geology. I remained in Maine
working for various companies exploring for copper-lead-zinc massive sulfide
deposits until coming to Colorado to attend Colorado State University for
graduate studies. “ He completed his master’s degree and actually worked in
the field as a geologist until he moved to Sterling.
While Coles
didn’t really set out planning to teach, he has found a true passion in helping
students develop their skills. In addition to the classes he teaches, he also
sponsors the Math and Science Club and coordinates the college’s annual star
parties. He also leads some camping, hiking and caving adventures for the
college students. He is very community oriented and helps run the annual food
drive activities on campus every year at Halloween. His club has helped do
highway clean-up and always helps each year with the regional science fair and
contests that take place at Northeastern.
Cole’s wild
salt and pepper hair and scraggly beard have some students thinking he’s just an
old hippie. Fact is, he’s a brilliant teacher and a lover of the sciences. Under
his un-kept hairdo is a wonderful sense of humor and the mind of a genius who
loves to share what he knows with others.
“I like working with the students and helping them
develop the skills that they will need to survive, and hopefully flourish, as
they work to obtain their bachelor’s degree and beyond,” Coles says. In other
words, he cares.
“Most rewarding is seeing my students achieve their
associate’s degree. You have to care about your students and their success.
Regardless of what training you have, or what instructional activities you may
dream up, they are all for naught if you don’t care.”
Coles considers former NJC math guru Clay Prall to be
his best mentor. Prall, who taught at NJC for more than three decades, is
beloved by most everyone who had him as a math teacher. “He has been a wonderful
mentor for me. As much as possible I try to follow his example,” Coles
said.
Over the years, this ‘mad’ scientist has seen great
changes in the learning environment. “What has changed is the availability of
learning materials, “ he notes. “Students today have a tremendous number of
learning resources, videos, practice quizzes providing feedback, presentation
software, 24-7 access to class materials, even on-line experts who will answer
questions, largely as a result of the internet. None of this was so easily
available when I first started teaching. Even with all of these new resources,
direct interaction between the teacher and student seems to still be one of the
strongest learning tools.”
When asked what could be said about him that might
surprise his co-workers, his community and his students, Coles offered this. “As
a student at Berkshire Community College I enjoyed de-stressing by charging up
and down the hills and through the ginormous mud puddles of the western
Massachusetts’ forests on a 250 cc dirt bike.”
He puts himself into his projects, whether it be
planning a star party, a test for his geology class, or spending time with his
wife and two children. Coles has a great life philosophy. “I believe that once
you find what you want to do, that you do it well.”
Coles was honored by the college during it’s Spring
Semester in-service and has since been recognized with a group of his peers from
the other 12 community college across the state during a special ceremony held
in Denver.
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